Three reasons why I hate Caller Tune or CRBT no comments
Before you people get ideas, let me introduce myself. I am IVR developer myself. Caller Tune/Hello tunes, called CRBT technically, is nothing but IVR (Interactive voice response) system. Sadly, I am also one of those CRBT developers and I know CRBT is major revenue spinner for telecom companies as well as value added service providers like us, but I thank God that, Telecom companies have not removed plain old ring back tone.
But, I hate using CRBT and hate it when I do not get to hear plain old RBT (Ring back tone, for those uninitiated) but some song from some movies or album. I hate CRBT for three specific reasons and I thought I might share with you. Here they go :-
1. The song you like, I hate them
Imaging the situation, one guy calls up from hospital to inform his relative that his father just expired. As soon as he dials the mobile number of his relative, he gets to hear ‘Piya tu ab tu aajaa….”.
Fe days back, I called up a number of South Korea and it played some Korean! My bad! Few days back, I called my friend Rahul in Banglaore, he played the a song in Kannada! I told, Rahul, I do not understand Kannada, thank you, your melody is my noise.
With CRBT, you can not make out how many rings have passed and when it is time to disconnect as called party may be in a meeting! It is good manner to disconnect after say 4 rings! But how am I supposed to know 3 stanzas of the song make equivalent of 4 rings, and t is my time to disconnect ?
Finally, I like old Hindi songs, and Beatles! Most probably you hate them. Then again, lemme tell you, I hate your Shahrukh Khan numbers.
2. My God! I am paying for making my callers listen two lines of song!
How much should listening to a one song of 5 minutes duration cost ? Rs. 10, ok I agreed to pay that amount to download song from VAS short code to my mobile which I can listen again and again forever as long as I want! Have you ever thought about CRBT ? Here are few facts:-
a. You pay rental of Rs. 30 per month for making your caller listen to 1 line of song which they hate and you stop as soon as you pick up the call.
b. If you want to change the song, you pay Rs. 15!
c. You change by either calling to IVR which charges you Rs. 6 or Rs. 7 per minute as long as you are connected to the IVR.
d. If you send SMS to change it, you pay Rs. 3 for one SMS.
So, finally what you get ? Your caller gets to listen 2 lines of the song, and a unhappy caller whom you made listen to some music he hates!
Make CRBT free and see, if I use it!
3. You can no longer use speaker while phone you dial is ringing
Thanks to Caller tune or Hello tune, you can no longer switch on your speaker on the mobile of telephone instrument! You just are not sure what caller tune you may hear as soon as your called number starts ringing.. errr, playing.
Imagine your friend setting up some funny ( really, really funny) caller tune for you ( yes it is possible to configure different caller tune as per caller ID) and you happen to call him from a meeting and your boss asks you to switch on the speaker so that everybody can listen!
Here are my three reasons why I hate Caller tune, hello tune, CRBT what ever they call! Finally, I hate more when they activate it without my request and the song being a Bhajan! Well it happened with me once!
So how about you ? Do you have any interesting incidence thanks to Caller tune ?
Recent Bhubaneswar Visit no comments
I visited Bhubaneswar from 21st Nov 2009 till 17th Nov 2009. I did not stay all the time in Bhubaneswar. For two days, I came to Delhi to attend some exhibition.
Bhubaneswar has an awesome road from Airport to the Info City! I think this is one of the best roads in India as well as in the world.
I met one Paanwala just outside Pentaloon at Sahid Nagar, Bhubaneswar. Well, he has a visiting card with mobile number and he offers his visiting card to everyone who buys “Paan” from him. I like that small enterprising boy. He does not have any permanent structure, just a folding table.
But I realised, he does that, ( giving out his visiting cards), because he offers his services ( Paans) in any Indian activities like marriage, parties, picnics, get together etc!
I liked his business style! I think I should learn from him too, how to be enterprising.
Travel to Jodhpur no comments
I traveled to Jodhpur on 15th Nov 2009 by train from Jaipur. It was good Journey.
Jodhpur food is spicy, salty, fulll of namkin! Weather was good.
Poeple are polite to travelers. In railway station while coming back, I bought one bottle of water from a shop. As I was waiting for the train there I did not keep the bottle with me, but with the shop keeper only. When the train came to plate form, I forgot about the water bottle and left behind.
No, the shop keeper did not come running after me to give me the bottle of water. I remembered later, but it ended there.
Bengaluru no comments
Airport has really changed!
It was small in 1999, not many crowd, not many security checks. Now it has become much bigger, lot of security checks!
It got its names changed too.
Weather is still good, though I am sure it is deteriorating now. Lot of traffic, it reminds one of Delhi in 1999.
Recent to Visit to New Delhi no comments
I visited Delhi recently for a small work.
As usual, I did not like Delhi. I do not like the traffic in Delhi. Lot of traffic, public transport system is pathetic. Everyone, auto rickshaws, taxi drivers are out to exploit any foreign looking tourist. It is really bad in Delhi. People are generally rude and do not tell directions even if they know.
So, you should study the map of the area where you would be going. Other wise be prepared for paying for more. Some taxi service on phone calls have started, but you will find the line busy or they do not provide service in the area where you are staying. I think Delhi is in mess due to its huge population. It also has a huge floating population coming in daily from its neighboring satellite towns.
The Delhi Metro works well though!
Surviving in Delhi is difficult for people like me. I always try to avoid visiting Delhi. But it is not possible for me as an Indian.
Bejing Resturant in China Town, Kolkota no comments
I visited Bejing Resturant few days back on a visit to Kolkota.
It is in China town with many where many Chinese people live. They have even signboards written in Chinese looking characters. I can not say, those are Chinese Language ( Mandarin) characters as I am not sure about their alphabets.
The food was very good. In fact, I would say, that was the best Chinese food I have eaten anywhere in India so far. Nice hotel, nothing great though. Price is not very high. Quantity provided per plate is big enough for two person. Most probably, that is the reason why they offer all many items in half plate quantity too.
They do not serve pork. Most probably, that is due to swine flu all around the world! Overall, it was a very good experience.
TIP: Hire a car for your dinner. It is not easy to get a taxi at night. Even if you get a taxi, they will charge you some extra.
Visit to Guwahati no comments
I traveled to Guwahati from Delhi on 26th July 2009 in the morning at 5:30AM and was suitably impressed with new airport terminal 1D! Finally Delhi can boast of an world class airport!
Security was strict as usual. We actually live in fear in India, in any city. We are checked, frisked by security personal as if we have come to airport to bomb some planes. But terrorists now a days look like any one of us, so we actually can not blame security personals. Technology has failed here which is unable to detect a criminal.
As usual, as soon as I landed at Lokpriya Gupinath Bordoloi International airport, I was welcome by humidity and I started sweating. Tropical countries in rainy season. Lokpriya Gupinath Bordoloi was first Prime Minister of Assam. Yes, at that time Chief Ministers were called prime ministers. I am not sure if it is still a international airport, but there was a flight from Guwahati to Bangkok few years back.
I forgot to withdraw cash while in Delhi and whatever cash I had I had to pay Indigo airlines due to my extra luggage. So I diplomatically asked the prepaid Taxi counter at the airport, can I pay in US dollars as I do not have Indian Currency as of now. Or I can draw some cash from ATM in city ? Most probably, the man behind the counter understood that I do not have money, so he smiled and informed me that I can pay to the taxi driver directly.
We saw many police check posts while driving 35KM from airport to Guwahati City! I have not heard any terrorists caught in these police check posts, but I think they act as a deterrence not only to terrorists carrying hand grenades, but also to youngsters riding bikes at 100KMPH without driving license. Luckily, I was not checked any of those check posts!
I settled in Hotel Comfortably!
Recent Kolkota Visit no comments
Recently, I visited Kolkota from Jaipur.
Jaipur Sangner Airport has started a new terminal on 1st July 2009. My flight was from the new terminal and I expected my check time would be quite fast and efficient. But it was not to be! The new terminal is world class in infrastructure, machine and materiel, but than were manned by Indians. So, I had to stand in along queue to get my luggage X-rayed as they were using only one XRAY machine of the two installed! I shouted at airlines guy and finally there was two queue, reducing the waiting period.
Flight was good! It landed on time in Kolkota Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International airport. As usual, they have one prepaid taxi counter and a very very slow and long queue and 5th July 2009 was no different! I curse Indian population when I have t stand in a queue as well as like to pass comment on poor infrastructure !
I walked out of the airport and was greeted by July humidity in Kolkota. I always like driving from airport to city in Kolkota. You would see many bar and restaurant spaced hardly 10 meters apart. Kolkota has lot of good drinkers! ne of the reason why I like Kolkota! You can drink, drink and drink and then get drunk. People understand that.
Trincas is one bar and restaurant on Parks Street, where one can listen to live music and good drinks with good food. But I normally take a back door entry and go to first floor. There you can have peace, no loud music, talk as well as drink with good quality snacks and food. Next time if you happen to be in Kolkota, try that.
Visit to Ajmer and Pushkar no comments
Yesterday, I visited Ajmer and Pushkar first time in 5 years after staying in Jaipur or visiting Jaipur for last 8 years.
Surprisingly I think, Ajmer seems to be more secular than Pushkar!
Pushkar lake was empty! I found people digging up the pond looking for gold, silver coins as well as coins very odd! Most probably, few people think money more important than blessings of God!
Dhiraj Kumar Sharma 1 comment
Finally, I met Dhiraj Kumar Sharma after 7 long years! Years just pass by!
He is quite fit, does not look that 7 years passed! While I have aged almost 10 years in last 7 years, he has not aged more than 2 years!
Over our favourite whiskey in his Kharghar Flat at 10th Floor, we recollected good old days! Our talks revolved around catching up with college friends!
Lot of talks! Had a good time, after a long time.